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I dropped out of high school - I've never heard the phrase used in another context.

Over here you are not allowed to drop out of High School.................it is illegal. So, the expression would refer to someone who left High School and did not follow a tertiary education when they had adequate qualifications to do so.

OK, people complete their secondary education and then go onto the employment market, but that is not "dropping out"

If you cannot do someone any good: don't do them any harm....
As long as you did this to one of these, the least of my little ones............you did it unto Me.
What profiteth a man if he gains the entire World at the expense of his immortal soul?

Oh, my mistake, I didn't note your location.. where 'tertiary' would be FE, or HE? International school systems are something I know very little about.. but interesting nonetheless. Heh.. I'm imagining a similar legal restriction put on US schools.. heh. I think I'll refrain from commenting on that one.

Thanks for the info

And Ouroboros, I believe I like you already

Last edited by kataline; February 13th, 2008 at 10:06 AM.
Reason: Omission

We have "nursery schools" or "playschools" which are for the under fives. These are privately funded.

The state system cuts in around five years old and is your "primary school" this lasts until 11 years old, when you go to "secondary school" which goes on to the age of 16, when you face the first major examinations in our education system.............GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education).

At present, this is the earliest you can legally leave the system.

Those who wish to continue can go on to sit A-Levels (Advanced Levels) at 18 years old. This is still considered "secondary" education. I suspect it is something like your "Senior High"?

After that you go to University, Technical College, or some sort of vocational college. This is called "tertiary" education in general but, is also referred to as "further education" or "higher education"

We do have private education if you want it, but at least 80% is state funded. They will pay just about everything up to 18/19 years old.

If you cannot do someone any good: don't do them any harm....
As long as you did this to one of these, the least of my little ones............you did it unto Me.
What profiteth a man if he gains the entire World at the expense of his immortal soul?

That has been proposed over here but I do not know if it is law yet. I believe that the idea would be that if you leave high school at 16, you would then have two years at a vocational training college, and have a shot at some recognised preliminary trade or business qualification.

If you cannot do someone any good: don't do them any harm....
As long as you did this to one of these, the least of my little ones............you did it unto Me.
What profiteth a man if he gains the entire World at the expense of his immortal soul?

Nihil, yes, your secondary school is roughly equivalent to our high school.

Our kindergarten (playschool/nursery) and elementary (primary) are more or less the same idea as yours. We have 'middle school' as a bridge between elementary and high school, which students attend from ages 12-14 or 15, depending on the county. High school graduates are free to enter the workforce or continue on to university/college or a vocational institution as they see fit, though a four-year university/college is becoming more the rule than the exception.